Ensilage-cutter.



M. P. SCHNECKENBURGER.

ENSILAGE CUTTER;

- APPLICATION FILED APRJ29. 1913.

Patented May 22, 1917.

INI/ENTOR z/MW By M ATTORNEY HABGUS P. SCHNEGKENBURGER, 0F WARSAW, NEW YORK.

ENsILAGE cU'ITER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 191 7.

Application filed April 29, 1913. Serial No. 764,316.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARCUS P. SoHNnox- ENBU'RGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Warsaw, in the county of Wyoming and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ensilage-Cutters, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to an ensilage cutter, and more particularly to the feeding rolls for supplying thefodder to be cut to the cutting wheel with the means for affording an adjustable mounting for one of the rolls so that it will yield according to the amount of fodder passing between it and the other roll without disturbing its drive.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pair of spaced feeding rolls which may have a relativemovement to allow for clifferent amounts of fodder passing between them with means for maintaining a positive drive to both of the rolls in all positions of adjustment and further for means for enabling the rolls to always have their axes remain in parallel relation no matter what the relative positions of the rolls may be.

To accomplish the above and other objects, the feeding rolls are mounted with their axes parallel and one of the rolls is movably 3 mounted to enable a relative movement therebetween, although, if desired, instead of having one stationary, both of the rolls might be movable. The two' rolls are driven in opposite directions from a single worm. A shaft extends. from each roll to a worm wheel, the worm wheel-for the lower wheel engaging the worm on the bottom side and the worm wheel for the upper roll engaging the worm wheel on the top side. A universal connection is provided between the upper roll and its worm wheel to allow for an up and down movement of the upper roll without disturbingthe drive. In addition to this universal connection, the upper worm wheel is pivotally mounted so as to swing about an axial center corresponding to the axial center of the common worm, so that a drive is always -maintained between the worm and the upper roll in all positions of adjustment ofthe latter.

The upper worm wheel which is connected to the bodily movable roll is mounted in a swinging frame which, while pivoting about the axial center of the worm, has a bearing not on the worm shaft itself but on the hearing for the worm shaft, so as to obviate any tendency which might exist, if the frame were plvoted directly on the worm shaft, of

the frame having swinging movement other than that determined bythe variation in the amount of fodder passing between the feedlng. rolls. In order that fodder may pass solely between the rolls themselves, the movable rollis provided with a shield or hood which travels therewith and maintains a close fit with the casing of the knife wheel.

These and further features together with the construction and combination of parts will be more fullyv described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters denote corresponding parts in the severalviews,

Figure 1 is a face view in elevation with parts broken away to show the underlying structure.

Fig. 2 is an end view showing the relation of the worm and worm wheel drive, with parts broken away to show the method of hanging the swivel frame for the upper worm wheel on the worm axis.

Fig. 3 is a detail view taken at right angles to Fig. 1 with the worm shown in sections.

Referring more particularly to the separate parts of this invention as embodied in the form shown in the drawings, 1, indicates the knife wheel which is provided with knife blades 2 for cutting the ensilage or fodder fed in through an openin 3 in the knife wheel casing 4 by means 0 a pair of spaced rolls 5 and 6. The rolls 5 and 6 may be roughened in any suitable manner as by being provided with teeth as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that they will readily seize the ensilage or fodder coming between them and pass it on to the blades of the knife wheel.

In order to allow for different amounts of fodder coming between the rolls 5 and 6, it is necessary that there should be a relative movement between these rolls, so that the machine will not be clogged or stopped and so that the fodder will be positively fed at all times. If desired, both of the rolls 5 and 6 might be made movable but in this instance only one is shown to be movable,

that is the upper roll 5 while the lower roll,

6 is held stationary.

To accomplish this, the casing i is provided with supporting brackets 7 and 8 through fixed bearings in which is mounted a shaft 9 for the lower roll 6. In the case 25 necessary to have a reduction in drive from that the upper roll 5 is free to move up and down relative to the lower r0116.

The casing is cut away a suflicient amount to provide an entrance for the fodder when the upper roll is at its highest. When the upper roll returns to its lower positions, this opening would be uncovered abovethe roll.

There is, therefore, provided. a shutter plate or shield 15, which is mounted on the shaft 10 so as to move with the roll 5 in all positions of the latter. This hood or shield, 15 contacts closely with the casing 1 and keeps the opening above the roll 5 closed at all times, thereby maintaining the air pressure in the casing. i

Inasmuch as the knife wheel 1 rotates at anywhere from six to eight hundred revolutions per minute and the rolls 5 and 6 rotate at a very much slower speed, it is the one to the other. For this purpose, the shaft of the knife wheel 1 which is indicated at 16, is provided with a pulley 17 arranged to drive a belt 18 which in turn drives a pulley 19 mounted on a shaft 20. The effectiveness of this drive'may be controlled in any suitable manner as by means of a tightening pulley 21. Fixed on the shaft 20 there is provided a worm'22 which is arranged to drive an upper worm wheel 23 and also a lower worm wheel 241:

Inasmuch as these worm wheels are ar- In order that the roll 5 inay move always with its axis parallel to the axis of thefroll 6- and to avoid any possible jamming in the drive, not only is the universal connection 26 provided but also the worm wheelj23 is mounted to swing relative to the worm 2. For this'purpose, the shaft 25 is supported in a bearing 27 provided in a swinging frame 28 which is shown to be U shaped and having two arms 29 and 30 extending downwardly to form bearings 31 and; 32.

The-swingingfr'ame 38 is m'ountedto pivot co-axially with theaxis of rotationof the worm 22, so that the drive between the worm 22 and the worm wheel 23 will be maintained in all positions of theklatterf The frame 28, however, is not mounted directly on the worm shaft 20 as the rapid rotation of this shaft might tend to swing the frame 28 more or less. In place of this, sleeves 33 and 34 are interposed between the shaft 20 and the bearings 31 and 32. In this instance, these sleeves 33 and 34: are shown to be the bearings for the worm shaft 20 although they might,if desired, be separated sleeves. 4

While the weight of the upper roll 5 may be depended upon in most instances to form a sufficient feeding connection between the rolls and the fodder, there may also be providedfor exceptional casesa separate mechanism for pressing the roll 5 down on the fodder and cause the two rolls to grip the same positively. For this purpose, there is provided a link 35 connected at one end to the shaft 10 of the upper roll 5 and its other end to a lever 36 pivotedintermediate its ends and provided with a spring 37 at its opposite end. The spring, 37 may be detacha-bly connected to a hook38'on the easing 4, so that'it can be used or not, as (1G? sired- It will readily be seen that when the spring 37 is in use,'it. will tend topull down on the roll 5 to grip the fodder between the upper and lower rolls.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a very simple and efficient driving connection' for a pair of spaced feeding rolls which will enable a relativemovement betweenthe 1 rolls and yet positively, drive the rolls in all and worm'wheel reductionthat the driving relation between the knife wheel and the feeding rolls can be very nicely determined without. need of an excessive amount of gearing.

While I have shown one embodiment of I my invention, I do not wish'to be limited to the specific details thereof, but desire to be r protected in various changes, alterations and modifications which may come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus. described my invention, I 7' claim '1. The combination with a pair of spaced ment, of a worm, a'pair of worm wheels engaging said worm, one for each of said rolls, driving connections between said worm wheels'and said rolls, and means for mount feeding rolls'having a relative bodily moveingone of said worm wheels so as to enable.

it to swing about the axis of said worm as a center to'allow for a relative movement be-. V

tween said rolls. 7

' 2. The combination with a floatingly mounted fe'edfroll having several positions of'adjustment, of a worm wheel, driving connections betweensaidworm wheel andsaid feeding roll, a wormrlfor dri "ng said 13o worm wheel, a shaft for said worm, a frame for supporting said worm wheel mounted to swing about said shaft as an axis to enable a bodily movement of said worm Wheel relative to said Worm While maintaining the driving connection between said Worm and said worm Wheel so as to allow for bodily movement of said feeding roll, and sleeves interposed between said frame and said shaftto prevent the rotation of said shaft from having any influence on the swinging movement of said frame and said Worm wheel.

Signed at l/Varsaw, in the county of Wyo- 16th day 1:

ming and State of New York this of April, 1913.

MARCUS P. SCHNEGKENBURGER. Witnesses:

Rosn M. DILLoN, CLARENCE H. GREFF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

